Chapter 3
666 Words
That same frozen numbness had lingered in me right up to this moment.
When I saw Sergio, who was supposed to be in a meeting, suddenly show up on the kiss cam at the football game, in front of tens of thousands of people, kissing Louisa beside him, I still felt nothing whatsoever.
I even reposted the clip on my social media with a caption:
Perfect match.
Sergio, who followed me, saw it almost instantly and called me.
"Marella, what are you doing? It was just a game! You know anyone caught on the big screen has to kiss. I couldn't refuse it! You can't take your anger from yesterday out on Louisa. She's innocent! Besides, she even verified your parents' situation. They're nowhere near as bad as you claimed!"
I sneered. My parents were already dead. Yet my husband had chosen, at this point, to believe someone else's lies.
"Marella, delete the post. I'll have the media pull the footage. Just stop this, alright?" Sergio's voice softened, slipping back into that familiar tone, gentle, coaxing, impossible to resist.
But I only scoffed, "In your dreams."
I hung up and sat on the sofa, waiting. Looking around, I suddenly realized there were very few things in this bridal suite that truly belonged to me.
I didn't even need to pack. Walking out with just my phone would've been enough to end it all.
Ten minutes later, the lawyer I called arrived with the divorce papers. Sergio came with him, still out of breath from rushing back from the football stadium.
Right in front of him, I signed my name on the agreement and shoved the papers hard against his chest. "Sign it, Sergio. It's over."
"This isn't fair!" Sergio stared at me. "Just because I went to a game with Louisa and joined in a bit of harmless fun, you're divorcing me?
"Marella, you're the lady of the Pagano family. Stop acting so childish and making a fool of yourself.
"As the lady of the house, you should know better. Don't cling to petty things like this. I'm carrying the entire family legacy, handling business nonstop. I can't have my life revolve around you."
Then his voice softened again, "You used to take Louisa's advice so well. Keep going like that, and you'll become a proper lady of the Pagano family, with the highest authority."
I let out a short, humorless laugh, "The rights of the lady of the house? Sergio, why don't you lay it out for me? What exactly am I supposed to have rights over?
"Yes, I married you and became the lady of the Pagano family. But from beginning to end, I've never held a single trace of real authority. You told me to learn from Louisa how to run the family business, yet every bit of power still depends on your personal approval as the head of the family.
"Louisa has cut off every path I had to reach you. If I want to see my own husband, I have to submit a request and wait for her approval. One rejection from her, and I don't even get a glance at you! I don't even have the basic right to speak with you directly, so don't talk to me about running the Pagano family or being its lady!"
As I spoke, I lifted my hand and pulled at the hem of my wedding dress. Along the edge of the fabric, there was a small tear, barely visible, yet still there, worn down from those chaotic days of rushing about.
"Do you see this?" I pointed at the tear. "This expensive wedding dress is supposed to be the gown of the lady of the Pagano family. And yet it's torn at the edge.
"In this vast Pagano Estate, I can't even find a single person to fix it, because no servant here will take my orders.
"Sergio, tell me, this is the kind of power you expect me to be grateful for?"
- Writer
